France: Confrontations continue against Sarkozy

In summary, confrontations between cops and anti-Sarkozy demonstrations have continued since the intial explosion of 6 May.

At the last count at least 700 people have been arrested. Trials have already begun (and in some cases, finished) with fines and imprisonments being handed down frequently.

Over 1000 cars have been damaged or burnt nationwide, with at least 80 cops injured.

There is a call for national demonstrations, in every town and city across France, on May 16th, the day when Chirac moves out of the Elysée Palace and hands to reins of power (and the keys to the drinks cabinet) over to Sarkozy.

The following texts are just a tiny sample of what is happening across France. Disturbances have been reported in most major cities, with regular demonstrations and mass arrests in Paris at Plae dela Bastille. Many injuries have been reported, as cops are beating and gassing people.

Its difficult to get a full picture of what is going on, as so much is going on. Help is needed to translate the news coming out of the french indymedias (paris, marseille, nantes, lyon...)

Anyone who can help with translations should use the feedback form to contact this web site, or alternatively you can send in the translated article here >>>

Texts roughly translated by 'Karcher', originally from imc paris: http://paris.indymedia.org

See previous article:
France: Demonstrations against Sarkozy
http://www.wombles.org.uk/article200705891.php

Also: Occupation of Paris Tolbiac: Anti-sarkozy action spreads and deepens
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/370199.html

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Monday 7 May

The real incentive for violence comes from the government itself

http://paris.indymedia.org/article.php3?id_article=80882

"Monday evening, two gatherings took place in the Place de la Bastille in Paris. A first around 20h, followed by many arrests. A second towards started towards 22h on the steps of the Opera Bastille....

I saw extremely few projectiles launched and the majority at the end of the demonstration (you will include/understand why). Certain rumours even circulated saying that the car having been hit by a glass bottle a little later in the evening (breaking one of its windows) was the target of a policeman in plain clothes, everyone in continuation having run towards the owner to calm him and excuse the incident.

Towards 23h, becoming more extensive, the gathering moves on the road in order to block traffic and a section of the demonstrators starts a sit-down. CRS (french riot police) then arrive, and trying to encircle the sitting.

I hasten to move away knowing the their methods, and then vis-a-vis with a line of CRS barring us the access to our "colleagues finds me", always in sitting. Anger assembles, the insults rain, a prison bus arrives, and indignation explodes.

I seldom was in a similar state of rage, to see simple demonstrators without violences being arrested en mass (they were a hundred), that put to me in rage, and that frightened me.

Some throwing of bottles, then the remainder of the demonstration vainly tries to block the departure of the bus which ends up from going away. We then almost all returned to the front of the Opera Bastille (note that we were on the pavement and the CRS with us blocked the traffic on the road :).

People do not want to move, the arrests made some leave some, but there remains much more than one hundred people, being outraged against the methods of the fascists employed before our eyes. Word then arrives until A me, I hear "Look out, it looks like they're trying to encircle us". I run in top of the steps, information is true. The watchword is given, everyone tries to flee by the left.

It is at this time that I see several "demonstrators" drawing, as by magic, police batons from their trousers. And they're big! Those which try to draw, those which try to be demolished fist of the plain-clothes cops, and those which try to help them.[? i guess there was a bit of a fight ?]

That lasts a few seconds, I look around me, encircled, like rats, cut off from the square from the Opera Bastille. The vice is tightened and I fortunately could save myself with a hand from other demonstrators while jumping over a high fence (leaving the group of cops waiting below).

Reports of the evening say more than 200 people arrested. For my part I could, benefiting from a failure of the police surveillance, to return home. My three friends finished in one of the 4 buses chartered for the transport of detainees. For what I know of the conditions of detention, the buses were overloaded, not-ventilated, and my friends were released only with 4h of the morning, at Place d'Italie.

Also I was surprised at the time of the report of the earlier demo 20h on TF1 (mainstram tv media) of the shift between reality and the media version. I propose to you to view this.

TF1, lacking videos on the first demonstration, that of 20h, discreetly slipped in images of second demo into the first part of the report. How do I know this? One of my friends is quite simply seen there who arrived at the same time as me, ie. 22h.

Then the amount of fear in waves is managed every evening in France: smashed cars, windows, aggressive young people. For my part I did not see any cars in flames, nor trashed shops. On the other hand I saw tear gas and [Tonfa?]. To finish, the presenter states "the demonstrators claimed to be pacifist" Difficult to believe in it when one sees the images...

One can think what one wants of the violent method, always it is that it was not the case this evening, and the question to be posed is as follows: If the government answers in this way to pacifism, it may be that it very often does not show again the end of its nose. With what good to remain inactive while you are bludgeoned and gassed? The real incentive for violence comes from the government itself."

Tuesday 8 May

Paris, 23h

Many arrests at Bastille after an anti-sarko demonstration. People were taken to a nearby police station to be identity controlled. Traffic was blocked for a while (with no property damage or violence).

Call for a popular gathering every evening, 21h, Place de la Victoire in Bordeaux

Following the anti-sarkozy demonstrations of Sunday and Monday, around fifty of people are assembled this evening, place de la Victoire, in Bordeaux, in order to gather voluntary energies and to discuss the continuation of this mobilization.

Few representants of political parties were presents. It is not thus a question of setting up a common face for the legislatives parties, although each one agrees to encourage people not to vote UMP [sarkozy's party] at the time of the next poll.

The will of these "people sitting by ground, to discuss" (thus we define ourselves at present) has of another ambition only of re-appropriate public space and debate the means of living together differently.

We thus call all the goodwills to gather tomorrow, and the days which follow, Place de la Victoire, at 21h, so as to continue this debate.

Wednesday 9 May

Paris

200 detained for 'unauthorised demonstration', taken away in buses to have id control. on one bus of 60 people, its over-heated and then the cops fired tear gas inside. after control at the police station at Clignancourt, eventually released one by one after many hours. accusations of brutality and use of dogs to chase away solidarity demonstration outside.

Fifteen condemned in Bordeaux - including seven in prison

Dispatch of AFP
http://paris.indymedia.org/article.php3?id_article=80934

Bordeaux, May 9 : BORDEAUX, May 10, 2007 (AFP)
Anti-Sarkozy Demonstration in Bordeaux: 4 to 6 months of prison

Seven men, aged from 20 - 35 years, were condemned Wednesday in Bordeaux with sentences from 4 to 6 months of prison for having thrown projectiles at the police during a demonstration Sunday (6 May) after the election of Nicolas Sarkozy.

The judgments of the correctional court were overall heavier than the requisitions of representing public ministry, Isabelle Raynaud, who had demanded sentences from two to six months.

"In a democracy, one has the right to express one's joy, one's sorrow. It is a fundamental right which forms part of public freedom. But there is a limit, this limit they crossed with violence", suggested Mrs. Raynaud.

The seven - two unemployed and the five others following manual occupations - were charged with "grievous violence against an public authority agent with weapons and in meeting".

Four of them - two condemned to six months of prison, one to five months and one to four months were maintained in detention.

For the three others - two condemned to 6 months and to 4 months -, the president left "the execution of the sentence to the appreciation of the judge of application of the sentences".

Two of the seven condemned will have moreover to pay to two police officers, targetted by the projectiles - stones, pirns [?] or sticks - 300 euros as damages for the moral wrong they had suffered. All them charged had previous police records, some for violence. One of them has already eleven judgments for violences registered with his criminal record.

Eight others who had taken part in the demonstration were condemned to prison sentences with suspended sentences from 3 to 4 months, sometimes together with community service.

Young people, of the high-school pupils, the students and an unemployed person, aged from 18 to 25 years, were charged for the same reasons, but did not have the same legal antecedents. One of them was condemned to 3 months of prison suspended and 80 working hours of community service, another in 4 months of prison suspended, and six others in 3 months suspended and 120 working hours of gcommunity service.

Clashes had broken out Sunday evening between demonstrators and police force, at the end of a demonstration against the
election of Nicolas Sarkozy, which had brought together approximately 2000 people according to the police force.

17 people had been arrested. Two others should appear in June before the court.